1998 Chrysler Town and Country LX 3.8

Faults:

Had serpentine belt and tensioner replaced June 06 due to belt squeaking and worn. Oct 06 belt came off while driving in a rain storm. Had another belt put on. Feb. 07 belt came off again (shredded). Shop said the tensioner was bad. July 07 had belt checked due to noise and was told nothing was wrong. Took it back in August 07 and was told the belt was fine, but the tensioner needed replaced - again. Yesterday, while driving in rain, belt came off. Was told by the garage that this is a known problem with Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth mini vans. Nothing else is wrong with the van, but it is a pain when you work full-time and haul around kids. Guess I am staying away from this line of vans in the future since Chrysler will not even acknowledge there is a problem.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 10th September, 2007

1998 Chrysler Town and Country LX

Summary:

Unreliable

Faults:

I have had several problems with the serpentine belt slipping off in wet weather conditions. I have had the belt replaced as well as the pulley and still have issues. I am afraid to drive my own car in the rain due to being stranded on the highway twice from this issue.

General Comments:

Recall on serpentine belt needed.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 15th July, 2007

20th Sep 2007, 06:28

I have the same problem. Replaced belt and pulley. And still cant drive in wet conditions

28th Sep 2007, 16:18

Weak tensioner on the belt, not enough tension. Change the tensioner, not just the pulley.

20th Mar 2008, 12:21

There is a kit you can get to fix this, it involves changing a pulley or 2. Had it put on my 98 T&C, no more problems.

1998 Chrysler Town and Country LX 3.8L

Summary:

The Worst Car

Faults:

Transmission replaced at 80,000 miles. Now at 125,000 miles, it leaks.

Motor leaks oil.

Leather seats are uncomfortable and cracked down to the padding.

Headlight switch causes lights to go out at any time.

Dash light dimmer switch does not work.

Brakes do not work well.

New struts and alignment at 120,000 miles. Vehicle still pulls to the right.

Power mirror switch does not work in down position.

Odometer goes out by itself. If the car is running it will go back to normal after the gauges quit, the anti-lock brake light comes on, and the security light comes on. If this happens while starting the vehicle, it will not start. Vehicle has left me stranded several times and the dealer cannot figure out what’s wrong with it.

Ignition switch replaced.

Door seals do not stay in place.

Right sliding door does not work from the inside, and rear hatch does not work sometimes.

Someone referred the 1997 Chrysler Town and Country as the Rolls-Royce of minivans in a review on this site. It is not definitely not as reliable as our 2003 GMC Sierra, 2000 GMC Safari, 1988 Chevrolet Astro, 1993 Buick LeSabre, 1989 Buick LeSabre, or 1993 Cadillac El Dorado. It cost more than all of the listed vehicles above, except the GMC Sierra. It is definitely not General Motors quality. My aunt had a 1998 Chrysler Town and Country Limited, she finally traded it off because of the poor quality.

General Comments:

This vehicle is probably the worst one I have owned. For the price, I should have bought another General Motors product.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 23rd April, 2007

22nd Aug 2010, 21:27

Yes, this vehicle is crap. My dad has one, and it misfires, the brakes failed when we were in the mountains, transmission failed, A/C failed, takes about 10 seconds to start this piece of crap, and the transmission is still having problems.

1998 Chrysler Town and Country LX

Summary:

Love the T&C so much, I am getting ready to buy a new one!

Faults:

This has been an almost perfect car (if there is such a thing).

In 2004, I had to have new brake pads and the rotors turned.

In 2003, the check engine light came on and we took it to the dealer, plus several mechanics, and no one has been able to find anything wrong, and they all said there may just be a short in the computer, and said they could either turn the light off for a price, or if it didn't bother us, that we could ignore it. We chose to ignore it, and 2 years later, nothing has gone wrong.

We got a new battery in 2004.

General Comments:

I have 2 kids, but I wasn't ready to buy a "family mobile", as the 10 year old refers to it, but I gave in and bought one. I have loved it from day one.

I love having the double captain seats. It makes it feel much larger than having 2 bench seats in back. The sliding doors are great, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

The only thing I wish mine had that didn't have as an option was the automatic closing doors. We are a sports family and travel a lot, so we practically live in the van, and it has held up through everything. The seats still look great (I have leather).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th October, 2005